World's largest 'snack stadium' at Scottsdale mallThe Arizona RepublicMore than eight tons of cheese, dip, and other food make up what might be the world's largest "snack stadium," unveiled recently at Scottsdale Fashion Square mall in Arizona in anticipation of Super Bowl XLIX.
Business-rating website Yelp.com built the stadium out of about 44,000 items as part of a fundraiser and food drive for St. Vincent de Paul food bank, which will receive the food once the attraction is taken down shortly after the Super Bowl, to be played at University of Phoenix Stadium on Feb. 1.

2015 Concession Profession Advertising available nowNACConcession Profession Advertising — Reach the Buyers in the Concession Industry! The next issue of Concession Profession will come out in April 2015. Concession Profession, the annual member magazine of the National Association of Concessionaires (NAC), is a proven resource of news, photos and features for the leaders in the recreation and leisure-time concessions industry. Insertion order form, artwork and payment must be received no later than March 13.

Al Lapidus/Variety Boys & Girls Club Scholarship Golf ClassicNACMake your travel plans to arrive early so you can join us for golf just prior to the start of the CinemaCon Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas. The 31st Annual Al Lapidus/Variety Boys & Girls Club Scholarship Golf Classic will be held on Monday, April 20 at the beautiful Bali Hai Golf Club just minutes from Caesars Palace!
Bali Hai, a world-class course right on the strip, will allow for an earlier start time (7:30) and should afford golfer's the opportunity to get back to Caesars hours earlier to resume their activities, including trade show set-up, on the first day of the show.

This is Dairy Food Today!At Gehl's, we help bring these exciting new tastes to your menu through convenient, ready-to-serve real dairy products that won't bog you down with time-consuming preparation. Our secret is an advanced "aseptic" process that locks in dairy freshness without refrigeration. Learn More

Booths on sale for 2015 Concession & Hospitality ExpoNACJoin the top food and beverage leaders at THE International Concessions and Hospitality Marketplace. The Concession & Hospitality Expo will take place on July 21-24 at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and the adjacent Duke Energy Convention Center. The 2015 Trade Show is at the Duke Energy Center right across the street from the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati and will be held on Wednesday, July 22 (1 p.m. – 4 p.m.) and Thursday, July 23 (2 p.m. – 4 p.m.) and is open to full and tabletop displays.

CEO and Chairman of Tootsie Roll Melvin Gordon dies at 95Candy Industry Melvin Gordon, chairman and CEO of Tootsie Roll Industries since 1962, died on Jan. 27 after a brief illness at 95.
The company says Melvin worked a full schedule until last month. His wife of 65 years, Ellen, who served as Tootsie Roll's previous president and chief operating officer, has been named his successor.

Cheetos to roll out Sweetos snacksUSA TodaySnackers soon will have an excuse to turn their fingers cinnamon brown instead of cheesy orange.
Just ahead of Easter, Frito-Lay's Cheetos brand in late February will roll out Cheetos Sweetos — a cinnamon, sugar puff snack. Sweetos is the first sweet snack that Cheetos has cranked out in the brand's 67-year history.

Why is popcorn the default movie theater snack?Mental FlossIt's hard to imagine attending the latest blockbuster without a jumbo bucket of excessively buttery, salty popped corn. Or, at least, getting a whiff of it.
Popcorn was hugely popular at fairs and carnivals in the mid-1800s. Street vendors were able to easily make and sell the delicious, aromatic snack food by the bag when the first steam-powered popcorn maker was created in 1885. However, movie theaters wanted to stay far, far away from the pungent, crunchy grub.

High-priced, premium food and drink the new normal at Super BowlCronkite NewsA $20 cup of soup, a $16 cheesesteak, $11 for hot chocolate. Those were just some of the high-priced menu items at last year's Super Bowl XLIII at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The days of a simple hot dog, popcorn and a small soda at the game are long gone. This is the new normal for concessions at the Super Bowl, where vending companies have raised prices and expanded offerings to more premium options.

Consumers wary of label legitimacyCSP Daily NewsThe dots don't seem to connect: Consumers cast a dubious, untrusting eye about the legitimacy of packaged-food labels, and yet most are willing to pay more for foods and beverages that feature specific health-related claims.
According to Nielsen's recent Global Health & Wellness study, 63 percent of global respondents, or less than two-thirds, said they trust health claims on food packages, with the percentage dipping to 56 percent in North America.

KFC releases Double Down Dog sandwich in PhilippinesUSA TodayWho needs a soggy bun when your hot dog can be wrapped in fried chicken?
Kentucky Fried Chicken is replacing bread with meat at select Philippines restaurants, according to a Facebook post from KFC Philippines.
There are no plans for the fast food chain in the U.S. to add the sandwich to the menu, according to KFC.